Apparatus for coking coal



Cf M. GARLAND.

APPARATUS FOR COKING COAL.

APPLICATxoN FILED DEc.'22. 1917.

1,402,41 3., Patented Jan. 3, 1922.,

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CLAUDE EE. @LAND 0F CHICGO, LLMIS.

MPMATU@ FQR @@KENG CCGLAL.

Speeteatlon of Lettera atent.

Patenten aan, a, ieee.

Application led Beeembe'r 22, 1917. Serial No. atleten. x

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that l, CLAUDE M. GARLAND,

a citizenof the United States, residing at' Chicago, in the county of Cook and State'otl Illinois, have invented new and useful lml' provements in Apparatus for @cking Goals, of which the following is a specication.

My invention relates to coke ovens and has for its object the provision of improved means for coking fuels whereby the time of coking is greatly reduced, consequently the size ot a plant for a given capacity and the amount of by-products recovered greatly increased over present practice.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description that ollowszln the present by-product coke oven the fuel is commonly charged into long retorts of rectangularsection placed horizontally. These retorts are commonly made from eighteen to twenty inches in width, six to eight feet in depth, and oi varying length. The heat for coking the coal contained in the retort is usually supplied by burning a portion or" the gas distilled from the coal in side fiues or brick construction. A silica brick wall forms the retort in which the coal is contained and the gases `for heating are burned in the Hues and are separated from the coal by this silica brick wall.

The temperature in the dues is ordinarily around 2600o F. and the temperature of the wall varies between 1800 and 2400 degrees F. Under these conditions the time required for coking the fuel varies from fifteen to twenty-four hours. The cause for this excessive length of time in coking is due to the fact that in order to produce a coke of uniform structure it is necessary to crush the f coal which results in a very large amount of fine material. Since each particle 'of coal charged is surrounded by a film of air and since this air is confined so that the circulation of the air is Very difficult and since air is one of the best non-conducting mediums of heat so long as it is confined, the mass of coal in the retort forms a highly insulating medium which renders the progress 'of heat through the mass very slow.

Simmersbach found in a Koppers oven of 19 and g inches mean width operatingon twenty-nine hours coking time with a final maximum temperature of 1120 degrees centigrade, that the temperature in the middle of the oven one meter above the door remained about 10 degrees oentigrade for two and one-half hours after chargmg; then rose to 100 degrees centigrade and' remained at this temperature until thirteenvhours after charging. At twenty hours the tem erature was oiy 4:10 degrees centigrade. del. E. June, 1917, p. 498.)

, The above experiments conrm the ap li- 4cants statement relative to the insulatino' propertiesof a mass of finely divided coal. ln actual practice the coal fuses lat a temperature around 400 degrees centigrade and the fused mass boils around 450 degrees centigrade and may even perature. ing time it is necessary in the ordinary retort to use temperatures up to 2400 degrees F. These temperatures are yexceedingly disastrous to the terry by-products, as thin-,

per ton of colte is excel teen gallons ot tar lent practice in present day by-produet ovens. By the inventors method -thistar is increased to from twenty tothirty gallons per ton and instead of containing sixty per cent pitch, contains from twenty-tive to thirty per cent pitch, the remainder` being light oils. i

lin the inventors apparatus the heat is applied to the mass of coal by forcing through the mass a non-oxidizing gas at a comparatively high temperature which serves as a heat carrying medium to the particles of coal. The temperature of this gas is ordinarily in the neighborhood ot 1100 degrees l?. but .maydrop as low as 800 degrees and rise as high as 1500 degrees 'E under special conditions. rlhe gas used may be a part of thel coke oven gas distilled from the coal which has been super-heated but super-heated steam is preferably used as the heat carrying medium. y

As this gas is forced through the finely divided coal the air particles are driven out and the mass of coal is rapidly brought to the fusion temperature. The .time re- Journall be coked at this tem.` ln order to obtain quick colquired will depend upon the coarseness of With some coals in which the amount of bituminous matter is not excessive the gas which -is not desirable for commercial purposes. Provision is therefore made for surrounding the mass with the heated gas orA superheated steam from the time the fusion is completed until'the end of the coking time. Even under these conditions coke may be'formed in five or six hours time due to the fact partly that the fused mass conducts heat much more readilyafter fusion' but largely due to the yfact that after the coal is heated above the fusionvpoint. The fact remains, however, that the' coal cokes almost as rapidly after the passage of the heating medium is stopped as its does when the passage of the heating medium through the coal is continued. The resulting coke, however, after stopping the passage of the heating medium, becomes much more dense.

There is alsov another advantage in the method and that is due to sweeping out the air particles from the coal thereby'removing the oxygen which in ordinary practice remains and unites with the volatile matter to produce carbon dioxide which destroys a small amount of by-products and tends to prevent coking. `In poorly coking coalsv the presence of this small vamount of oxygen may seriously interfere 5with the coking operation.

fully my invention.

Again due to the comparatively low tem-- peratures required in the apparatus the retorts may be constructed of cast iron and thereby made absolutely tight thuspreventing losses due to combustion which can not be avoided in ovens constructed'from brick work which is always porous.

The accompanying drawing which forms a part of this specification illustrates more Referring to this drawing vin which like numerals designate like parts in the various figures-Figure 1' shows an elevation in part section taken on the line YY of Figure 2. Figure 2 shows a plan in part section taken on the line XX of Figure 1.

Referring to the figures the numeralr 1 indicates a heating chamber which is formed by the walls 2 which are preferably made of cast iron. This chamber is surrounded by an insulating covering 3 and the whole is mounted on the beams 15 in any convenient manner. 4 indicates the retorts for holding the fuel which are preferably made with vertical side walls as shown. Theseretorts are formed by the partitions 5 which are riveted into the walls 2 of .chamber 1 and extend entirely across this chamber fromA top to bottom dividing the chamber into alternate retorts and gas compartments. A gas compartment is provided between each retort and between each end retort and the end of the heating chamber. One 'or more retorts may be built into a heating chamber. These walls are provided with perforations 6 which are uniformly spaced so as Yto distribute the heating medium through the material to be coked. These perforations' m-ay be of any convenient form to pass the heating medium. The tops ofthe retorts 4 are covered by cover plates 7 and the bottoms by cover plates 8 which are held down' by the links 9 and' .the screws 10. These tops are readily removable by backing off the screws 10.l

The numeral 14 indicates a gas inlet through which heated gas may be delivered to the heating chamber in the first compartment. 13 indicates a gas outlet from the heating chamber in the last compartment. v11 indicate pipes which establish communication between tle top of one compartment and the bottom of the next compartment. 12 is a valve for cutting oil' communication between each of the compartments, 16, located between the retorts 4.

The o eration of the apparatus is as follows Vhe bottom covers 8 are placed in position and forced up against the bottom of the retort by the screws 10. Coal is then charged into the retorts 4 and the top cover plates 7 fastened down. Superheated'steam under a pressure of one or'two pounds is then blown into the first compartment through the gas inlet 14. This steam passes through the perforations 6 in the sides 5 of the retorts 4, through the coal contained therein and passes oif through the gas outlet 13 together with the gases and tarry vaporsdistilled from the coal. If the coal is low in bituminous matter this steam is blownV through until coking its-completed. However, if there is a large amount of bituminous matter the steam is blown through until the mass of coal has fused. The valves 12" are then opened so that the steam and gases distilled from the coal pass from the bottom of the first compartment to the top `of this compartment'then lthrough the pipe 11 to the bottom of the next compartment to the top of this compartment and then through the pipe 11 to the bottom of the next compartment and so on until they pass out through the gas outlet 13'. During this stage after fusion the gases simply circulate through the compartment 16 of the heating chamber 1, thus enveloping the mass of coking coal instead of passing through. After the mass has solidified and before the volatile matter is all distilled off the coking may be hastened by closing the valves 12 thereby neonata forcing the vsteam and gases a m ga through the mass of l partially cokedfuel contalned inthe retorts t.,

Y' tom plates 7 and 8 removed and the mass ot coke vdrops out as the retorts are given a slight taper so that they are larger at the bottom than at the'top.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that simple and eicient means are herein provided for accomplishing the objects of the invention, but while the elements shown and described are well adapted to serve the purposes for which they are intended it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise construction set forth. VThe retorts for example may instead of being charged at charged at the bottom be charged at the top. and discharged at the ends by means ot horizontal pushers, the same as are used in high temperature by-product coke over practice. -One retort may be placed in a heating chamber instead of a number of retorts as shown bythe drawings. The gases for p carrying the heat mav be circulated `from top to bottom or from bottom to top. rlhe invention could be applied to the present form of coke oven retorts without serious alterationwby forcing the heat carrying gases un through the porous bottom ot the retort. lit will, therefore, be understood that the toregoing description includes within its pur view such changes as may be made within the scope of the appended claims.

What ll claim is- 1. The process of coking coal consisting in causing super-heated steam to pass through the coal until fusion of the coal occurs, of stopping the passage of steam on the completion of fusion and of then enveloping the fused coal with the said super-heated steam until the colring is completed.

2. The process of coking coal consisting in causing a non-oxidizing gas near a temperature of 1,000 F. to pass through the coal until fusionioccurs, of the said non-oxidizing gason the completion of the fusion and of then enveloping the fused material with the said non-oxidizing gas untilv the coking is completed.

3. The process of coking coal consisting in causing a heating medium to flow through the said coal to be coked for a pre-determined time, of then stopping the How of the -said heating medium through the said coal and of completingthe cokin surrounding the said coa'l wit ing medium.

4. The process of coking coal consisting in starting the coking operation by causing a gaseous heating medium to ow through the said coal for a pre-determined time, depending upon the nature of the coal, of stopping operation by the said -heatthe top and dis- 4cohin of stopping the passagethe dow of the said heating medium at the -endcf the said pre-determined then completing the colring` time, and of in starting the coking operation by causing said heating vsuper-heated steam at a temperature near 1,000" F. to pass through coal contained in a retort for a pre-determined time, depending,4 upon the nature. oi the coal, oi then stopping the passage. oi the said superheated steam,

and or completing the colring operation by vcausing the said superheated steam to circulate around the said retort.

7.. The process of colring coal consisting incharging the said coal to a retort, ci' causing a heatlng medium to tlow through the said coal contained in the said retort for a pre-determined time, 'dow or the said heating medium, and ot heating the said retort externally until the operation is completed.

8. n Coking apparatus of the type described, a heating chamber, a plurality ofi perforated partitions dividing the said chamber -into alternate retorts and compartments, an inlet for the admission of a heating medium in one end compartment, an outlet for the discharge or the heating medium whereby communication between the said compartments may be closed.

9. In coking apparatus or the type described, aheating chamber, a plurality of perforated walled retorts withln the said chamber, a compartment for the circulation of a heating medium between each retort and between the end retorts and the ends of the heating chamber, a removable cover for the-top of each of the said retorts, anda removable cover for the bottom orP each of the said retorts.

10. In coking apparatus of the type described, a heating chamber. a vertical retort within the said heating chamber, a perforated Vertical diaphragm forming one wall of the said retort and partitioning o' one end of the said heating chamber an inlet connection adapted to deliver superheated steam between the said perforated diaphragm-and the end of the said heating operation by ci then stopping the chamber, a second perforated diaphragm forming the opposite wall of the said retort and artitioning oif the opposite end of the sald eating chamber, and an outlet connection in the said opposite end of the said heating chamber whereby superheated steam may be caused to flow from the said inlet connection throu h the said retort and the coal contained t erein to the said outlet connection substantially as described.

11. In coking ap aratus of the type described, a heating c amber, a retort within the said heating chamber, a perforated Yertical diaphragm forming one wall ofthe said retort and partitioning off one end of the said heating chamber, an inlet connection adapted to deliver superheated steam between the said perforated vertical diaphragm and the end of the said heating chamber, a second perforated vertical diaphragxn partitioning olf the opposite end ofthe said heating other wall of the said retort, and an outlet connection to the said heating chamber so disposed with relation to the said inlet connection that the superheated Steam is caused to flow from the said inlet connection through the Said perforated vertical diaphragms and the coal contained in the said retort to the said outlet connection.

12. In coking apparatus of the type described, a heatlng chamber, a retort within the said heating chamber, a perforated ver tical diaphragm forming one wall of the said retort and partitioning oi one end of the said heating chamber, an inlet connection adapted to delivery superheated steam between the said perforated vertical diaphragm and the end of the said heating.

chamber, a second perforated diaphragm forming the opposite wall of the said retort and partitioning oif the opposite end of the said heating chamber, an outlet connection in the said opposite end of the said heating chamber whereby superheated steam may be caused to How from the said inlet connection through the said retort, and the coal contained therein, to the said outlet connection, a pipe communicating with the said heating chamber on opposltesides of the said retort whereby steam may be caused to circulate around the said retort, and a valve for closing the said pipe.

13'. In coking apparatus of the type described, a heating chamber, a retort contained in the said heating chamber, means whereby a heating medium may be caused to pass through the said retort and the material contained therein, and means for bypassing the said retort whereby the heating medium may be caused to surround the sai retort. f

14. In coking apparatus of the type described, a heating chamber, a retort dextending through the said heating chamber, means chamber and forming the for causing a heating medium to flow through the said retort and the material contamed therein, whereby the coking oper' ation may be carried to any pre-determined point, and means for by-passlng the said retort whereby the heating medium is caused to surround the said retort and the cokin operation is completed by heating the sai retort externally. s

15. In coking apparatus of the type described, a heating chamber, a vertical walled retort extending through the said heating chamber, means for charging coal tothe said vertical walled retort, a plurality of perforations distributed in the vertical walls of the said retort whereby a heating may be caused to flow uniformly through the said retort and the coal contained therein,

means for causing a heating medium to flow l from one end of the said heating chamber through the said perforations in the vertical walls of the said retort and through the ing medium is caused to -pass through the said uniformly distributed perforations in the said vertical walls o f the said. retort through the materialcontained in the said retort to the opposite end of the said heating chamber, communicating mea-ns between the two ends of'the said heating chamber whereby the said heating medium may be caused to surround the said retort, and means for discharging the coke formed.

17. In coking apparatus of the ty e described, a heating chamber, a plura ity of vertical partitions extending across the said heating'chamber whereby the said heating chamber is divided into a plurality of vertical walled retorts and gas compartments, each retort being se arated from the next retort and the en retorts being separated from the ends of the -said heat-f ving chamber by a .gas compartment, a

momie partment at the opposite end of the, said heating chamber whereby a heating medium may be caused to iiow from the gas compartment at one end of the said retort through the said vertical partitions and thimaterlal contained therebetween.

18. ln coking apparatus of the type described, a heating chamber, a plurality ofI partment in one end of the said heatingchamber, a pipe for the discharge of the said heating medium communicating with lthe gas compartment inthe opposite end of the said heating chamber, a pipe establishf ing communication between each gas compartment and the following gas compartment, and a valve for closing each of the said pipes whereby at will a heating medium may be caused to ow from the gas compartment at one end of the said heating chamber through the said uniformly spaced perforations in the said vertical partitions and the material contained therebetween to the outlet pipe communicating with the gas compartment at the op osite end of the said heating chamber or w ereby a said heating medium may be caused to circulate from the as compartment in one end of the heating clamber through each of the' other said gas compartments to the said pipe in the gas compartment in the opposite end of the said heating chamber. 19. In coking apparatus of the type del said vertical walle scribed, a heating chamber, a plurality of vertical partitions extending across the said heating chamber whereby the said heating chamber is divided into alternate vertical walled retorts and gas compartments, a gas compartment bein formed in each end of the said heating'c amber and between each of the said retorts, a plurality of uniformly spaced perforations in the said vertical artitions, means for causing a heating me um to flow from the gas compartment in .one end of the heatin chamber throughthe retorts and the material contained therein, means for chargin coal to the said retorts and means for disc arging the coke formed therein.

20. In coking apparatus of the type described, a heatlng chamber, a plurallty ofA vertical partitions extending across the said heating chamber whereby the said heatin chamber is divided into alternate vertica walled retorts and gas compartments, a gas compartmentbein formed in each end of 'the said heating c amber and between each of the said retorts, a plurality of perforations in each of the said partitions, means for causing a heating medium to iiow at will either from the compartment in one end of the said heating chamber through the' perforations in the vertical walled retorts to. the gas compartment in the opposite end of the said` heating chamber, or, for causing the heating., medium to How from the first named gas compartment around each of the said retorts to the last named gas compartment, means for charging coal to the said retorts and means for discharging the coke formed therein substantially as described.

" CLAUDE M. GARLAND.

Witnesses:

Lns'rnn J. KOEN,

Mmm: B. G i1 

